Rangers suffered a devastating 2-1 home defeat to Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier, leaving manager Russell Martin facing mounting pressure. The Scottish giants conceded three goals in the opening 20 minutes, a disastrous start that all but ended their hopes of progressing to the group stage.
Club Brugge took the lead in the third minute when Romeo Vermant capitalised on a defensive error, slotting home after a rebound from Christos Tzolis's shot. Four minutes later, Jorne Spileers headed in from a corner as Rangers' zonal marking failed. By the 20th minute, Brandon Mechele made it 3-0, drilling home unchallenged from a loose ball. The rapid collapse saw fans heading for the exits before half-time.
Rangers improved after the break, with Danilo scoring from close range in the 52nd minute after a cross from debutant Jayden Meghoma. However, a second goal was disallowed when Djeidi Gassama was penalised for knocking the ball from goalkeeper Simon Mignolet's grasp. Despite a stronger second-half performance, Rangers could not complete the comeback.
Martin acknowledged the pain of the defeat but remained optimistic. "I think the precursor to change is pain," he said. "I knew coming here that there was going to be some pain early on." He praised his team's resilience in the second half, adding, "We need to give the supporters more moments like we did in the second half."
The result leaves Rangers with a mountain to climb in the second leg in Belgium. Martin's position is already under scrutiny after just eight matches in charge, with the club's hopes of Champions League football now hanging by a thread.
